Who has a Disney bag/bin that holds things for upcoming trips?

[goofiecrazy]

So I have decided to start putting things into a bag/bin for our upcoming trip(not till summer of 08 O the pain to wait that long) .So far I have put in there the misting fan we have, a insulated bag that will hold a big water bottle and my AK strap that goes onto a water bottle.Plus the rain ponchos.I havent decided if I will make autograph books before going or just get them there yet.I know that I will be adding stuff along the way before we go.
So what does everybody put into their bags/bins before going?I figure some of u might have some things in there that i might not even think about that be useful..

[princessjojo]

I have one, but I don't usually start putting things in it until about 8 months until the trip. Usually, because we use those things during other times of the year. But when I do, I put things like disposable cameras for the boys, batteries, shampoos, puzzle books for the trip, sink detergent for our clothes, first aid supplies, sun block, wrinkle releaser, usually small things that could be forgotten at the last minute. If we go between seasons (cool here and warm there).We don't tend to take long vacations every year since we spend a lot of time at the beaches here several weekends a summer so we don't use our larger luggage too often. Therefore I pack a suitcase ahead of time with things we won't wear again until then (shorts, flip-flops, swim suits). That way, we only have to check though it when the time comes. I am one who plans something to death as well though. I keep the extra toothbrushes & toothpaste you get at the dentist in our travel bags and buy things "on sale" that would be a good idea for our trip or any other time.

Those things are some of the things I pack way ahead of time for our trip. Good luck and have fun packing ahead of time.

[Tinkerfreak]

I have a storage tub in the corner of my bedroom that I toss things in that I know we won't need before our trip. I also put the rain poncho's, pins for trading, a package of anitbacterial wipes, etc. We usually go at the end of oct. so we take shorts and tanks and stuff. We don't need those here in Maine that time of year so what I do is when putting away summer clothes at the end of the summer I keep aside the ones we want to take to Disney and bring the rest downstairs to the basement. I do get the girls disposable camera's so I throw those into the storage tub along with anything I want to take and won't be using. This helps prevent something getting left behind. Whenever I pick something up for the trip like shampoos, bandaids, anything like that I just toss it in the storage tub. It makes it much easier to remember things if they are allready in that box when it comes time to pack.

[DisneyDudet]

Sometimes I never unpack my suitcase.. does that count?

But really, most of the time I'll keep everything that goes to Disney but we don't use regularly and keep them in the bags I take. I'm a creature of habit, what can I say!?

Most of our "Disney bins" are for things like reservations and confirmation numbers.. but those go in the fireproof safe!

[vamaggie]

I don't have a bin because DH would KILL me if I had one sitting in our bedroom--he is not a planner like me! I have a shelf in the linen closet where I put all the stuff (mostly what has been suggested before) that I accumulate over the months before. What I also do is keep a list here by my computer of things that I did not think of (usually suggested by another poster) and may not remember to throw in. Then when I am getting ready to pack (usually about 3 weeks before) I have a my list of stuff not to forget. Regarding autograph books, I have always made my own. For our upcoming trip I got some plain white books from Oriental trading's scrapbook catalog and decorated them with Disney stickers, paper and stamps. My kids really like their "original" books and it makes it real easy to not lose them amongst the meet & greet lines/mayhem.

[kakn7294]

I have a smaller carry-on sized suitcase that is still in the box it came in. It sits in the corner of my bedroom because I haven't made room for it anywhere else yet. I just open the box and drop stuff inside the suitcase for now. Just yesterday, I couldn't find the extra rechargeable batteries and the chargers for my and DD's digital cameras. Guess where they were? I never even unpacked them after our December trip!

[bratmaster]

oh, i'm so glad this post came up - DH thinks I'm nuts because i have already started "packing" for our june trip! I have a grocery bag in my room that i have been starting to throw stuff into. It stated without our AAA guidebooks; i just had no place else to stick them, and then it just became an accumulation of rain ponchos, etc. I also have already started packing for my kids! I have been shopping around for little travel toys and activity books and things for them and putting them all into a backpack. I have even been printing off coloring and activity pages from the computer and keeping them in a folder for them.

[slt21]

Well, I don't really have much for a bag yet. I'm sure I will in the future, but it hasn't been that long since I was just a kid who's only concern was making sure she had her Mickey ears, lol.

I do, however, keep a wishlist on Amazon of stuff I'll need for my next trip, and plenty of that stuff will probably end up in my Disney bag (I've got a huge, cheap Mickey Mouse duffel bag that I'll probably use for that purpose). The list has the essentials like cheap ponchos, water bottle holders (I hate the Disney straps), etc.. I may not actually buy it off of Amazon, but it's easier for me to make a list if I can actually visualize the stuff.

I'm still trying to get used to the fact that I'm (somewhat) independent and my mom's no longer responsible for all of this, lol!

Even though it's just doing stuff on a list, it definitely helps me with my "Oh-my-goodness-how-much-longer-until-I-get-to-go" feeling. It just makes me feel productive in getting ready for the trip, which also makes the trip seem closer.

[Jeri Lynn]

I have a big bag that I keep under my bathroom vanity...it has just things I use only for my Disney trips. I also buy rain poncho's while waiting for the trip to arrive and put those aside.

I have a set of brushes and combs that I use only for Disney, that way I don't have to take the ones my kids use everyday.

I also have a seperate toothbrush just for Disney. I also keep our water-proof pouches and stuff in this bag.

When I go on a "girls" trip with my sister we each are assigned toiletries to get, instead of having two of everything, I buy the toothpaste, she buys the shampoo, I bring the suntan lotion, she brings the conditioner and so-on...the only thing that we don't share is our deoderant!!...and whatever is left we just leave there so we don't have to carry it home!!

I also occassionally will buy an over-the-door plastic shoe compartment type thing and we put all of our stuff in the pockets instead of cluttering up the bathroom vanity at the hotel!!

I get excited just writing about it!

[Dakota Rose]

I have a Disney shelf for all our trip stuff. In our old house, I had a Disney trip closet, but I don't have as much storage space in the new house.

[JPL]

I have a folder that I put all my paperwork in and my pass in. But I do have a problem I often misplace the folder Then have a few minutes of panic and terror until I find it.

[Marilyn Michetti]

Ya know, the nicest thing about the kids grown, married, and moved, is that we have two spare rooms. YEA !!

When we get home from WDW, the poncho's, laniards, unused disposable cameras, fanny packs, etc. just get put into one of two drawers that are already empty. That's where I also keep a folder with any hard copy confirmations, tickets, or whatever. Come Nov., the other two drawers start filling with other essentials and clothing.

Couldn't be nicer. (I'm having second thoughts about down-sizing).

[merlinmagic4]

I have a folder that I put all my paperwork in and my pass in. But I do have a problem I often misplace the folder Then have a few minutes of panic and terror until I find it.

I sympathize.......I had kept my Disney tickets on a shelf on my dresser since the last trip (Aug 05). At some point I decided they should go in a "better" place and one day I looked for them and realized I had no idea where they were!! I knew I had put them somewhere that made sense and that I would find them when I was looking for stuff for Disney I tore the house apart and couldn't focus on anything at all; it was killing me! I finally found them in a manila envelope marked "Disney 2007" (imagine that!). It had fallen behind the books on my dresser. I really had no recollection of putting them there but what a relief when I found them

[bratmaster]

"I also occassionally will buy an over-the-door plastic shoe compartment type thing and we put all of our stuff in the pockets instead of cluttering up the bathroom vanity at the hotel!!"


- FYI - I found one at the dollar store. You can just throw it away when you're done! Ponchos also at the dollar store - in packs of 2 for $1.

[Dawnzy]

"I also occassionally will buy an over-the-door plastic shoe compartment type thing and we put all of our stuff in the pockets instead of cluttering up the bathroom vanity at the hotel!!"


- FYI - I found one at the dollar store. You can just throw it away when you're done! Ponchos also at the dollar store - in packs of 2 for $1.

I love the idea of the shoe thingy
The bag in the bedroom has many of the same things already posted,I really should get a special travel brush (forgot it on the Dec '06 trip)

[dolphinmickey9170]

My office is filled with suitcases and bags filled with Disney goodies. I have been packing for our May trip since we got home from our July trip. I have two large WDW and DVC bags that I start filling. Everyone gets new toothbrushes and toiletries in the Christmas stockings.....well, everyone gives it back to me and says, "Put it in the Disney stuff". I bought a pump of concentrated creamer that need no refrigeration for our coffee in the hotel room. It's in there. Coffee pods 'cuz I'm really pickey about that. We always buy new socks, etc. for the trip so I purchase a pack of whatever for each person every week while I grocery shop. By the time we go, everyone has new socks, shoes, beach towel, bloomers, shorts, shirts, or whatever. When you spread it out buying one or two things a week, you don't miss it as if you were to purchase everything all at once. Even the extra boxes of snacks, individual cereals, sugar/splenda packets. Puzzle books, batteries, dvds cds (we drive 14 hours). I could go on, but I won't......36 more days. I can't wait. Can we leave now?

[BronxTigger]

Posted by merlinmagic4
At some point I decided they should go in a "better" place and one day I looked for them and realized I had no idea where they were!! I knew I had put them somewhere that made sense and that I would find them when I was looking for stuff for Disney

This is the number one way that I lose things: I put them in a new spot that I think makes more sense, then when I go look for that something, I can't find it!

I do have a bin that I keep things for traveling. It is not specifically a Disney bin though. It is general travel items like the TSA approved locks, dramamine, travel-size shampoo, etc.

I also keep a folder for each trip I take (Disney and otherwise) that keeps plane, hotel, dining, etc information. After the trip, I keep the folder for reference while I scrapbook.

[disneyfamily05]

I am so glad to hear that other people do this too! DH thinks I am nuts. I started buying things for our trip last summer for our June trip. I used to put things in a drawer of our linen closet - but this trip is a SURPRISE for the kids so I have things stuffed in bags hidden on a top shelf. What i spend most of my time buying are Disney Shirts for the Disney Store - so I bought alot of summer shirts last summer from clearance (I'm too cheap to buy things full price anymore )knowing we would be there this summer. So as insane as it sounds I have a new shirt for both kids for everyday we are there. So instead of trying to figure out outfits from existing clothes I already know what they are going to wear. I also have mini Disney fans, hats, sunglasses, ponchos and anything else i can get my hands on to take!

[DisneyorNothing]

OK -- I have to join the club here. I'm nutz too!! I have lists that I use to pack each year. One is all the clothing type items for the time of year we're traveling. The second is everything else we'll need for our trip from lanyards to cold tablets to laundry soap, etc. Once our trip is booked, I start a bag and every so often I purchase an item of the list and put it into the bag.

This makes it much more affordable than the week prior to the trip. I usually have all the items we need for our trip by about 1 month prior to the trip.

This helps in the long run and gives me my little jolt of disney thru out planning.